So I went on a rampage and I'm not even close to being where I want to be. I want the fun of seasonal decor and the randomness of all my tools and kitchen appliances but at the same time I want to manage less. Less toys, less clothing, less books...less. I don't want it consuming so much of my time. After getting warmed up on a few closets and cupboards I tackled the dreaded playroom.
The room that never seems to be clean.
The room that can have every toy in its place and within 30 minutes of guests arriving its all chaos once again. I asked each kid what their very favorite toys were and while they were at school the next day I cleaned house. The funny thing is I was hanging on to toys because I liked them. Nice wooden toys that looked cute on the shelf and occasionally were played with - gone. Fun wooden puzzles I always dreamed my children would play quietly together - gone. Toys that had annoying pieces that I always found myself picking up throughout the house, with each bend to pick it up I would vow to throw it away - gone. I sorted through the Little People. You can imagine how many sets we've accumulated over the years. But how many little figurines do you really need - gone. It took hours and it felt good.
The kids came home and were immediately disappointed with all that was gone. I tried convincing them that this would be easier to clean. Hallie piped up, "It's still going to be messy." To which I replied, "Then I will take another pass and eliminate more until we find the balance at which you can keep it clean." She was quick to say, "We can keep this clean."
The funny thing is, they won't miss one thing I removed. If they didn't see the pile in the garage (I wasn't quick enough to donate it!) they probably couldn't identify what was even missing.
I walked by the clean playroom all week and smiled with every passing. This week I'm tackling new areas...nothing is safe!
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ReplyDeleteYou offer some great questions to think about. Toys are a funny thing to manage. We have a decent rotating schedule due to the age of our kids. Once it's been outgrown it gets put away so its nice and ready for the next kid. But it still creates chaos. We don't have a ton to begin with - but kids are kids and how many toys do they really need? We're starting to phase out the playroom anyway to create more of a hangout area, this is just one step in the long process!
DeleteLove that line "...the balance at which you can keep it clean..." It made me laugh the first time I read it - and I've used it since then - on myself and on the kids. ;) We really can be just as happy with less - and it's easier to clean - which makes me extra happy!
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